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Are  You  Interested  in  Nature? 


A  Handy  Book 

for 

Planters  and  Lovers  of  Nature 

with 
Valuable  Hints  in  General 


By 

ALFRED  J.  KULL 
Practical  Landscape  Gardener  and  Engineer 


Copyright, 
Price  Fifty  Cents 


THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  PROPER  FIJLtfTING. 

Planting  of  all  kinds  has  been  carried  out  on  an  enormous 
scale,  and  to  a  great  extent  it  is  largely  due  to  many  well-to-do 
settlers  who  have  their  estates  laid  out  in  beautiful  country  homes. 
For  the  past  twenty  years  there  has  been  more  of  this  interesting: 
work  done  than  ever  has  been  known  in  this  country  before,  and! 
many  hints  have  been  given  to  aid  this  interesting  work.  How- 
ever many  writers  and  advisors  of  this  great  problem  do  not 
always  realize  that  this  kind  of  work  chiefly  depends  on  the 
different  locations,  climate  and  soil.  It  will  therefore  be  almost 
impossible  for  anyone  without  practical  experience  to  be  a  trust- 
worthy guide. 

For  the  past  twenty  years  there  have  been  many  questions 
submitted  from  all  parts  of  the  country  and  the  writer  finds  great 
pleasure  in  giving  the  result  of  his  long  experience  in  this  direc- 
tion. 


THE  PREPARATION  FOR  PLANTING. 

It  is  of  great  importance  to  have  the  ground  and  soil  ready 
in  time  before  planting.  It  will  not  only  save  time  but  it  is  also 
a  benefit  to  the  plants,  and  the  planting  is  done  at  less  expense. 

A  compost  has  proven  to  be  of  great  value,  not  only  for 
greenhouse  purposes,  but  should  be  made  on  every  gentleman's 
estate,  and  should  be  used  not  only  for  planting,  but  also  to 
serve  as  a  top  dressing,  for  lawns  and  flower  beds,  and  particularly 
where  the  ground  is  found  to  be  of  stiff  clay  or  red  shale.  It 
will  prevent  the  ground  from  cracking,  which  is  often  the  case. 
Humus  or  leaf  mould  cannot  be  too  strongly  recommended  for 
this  purpose,  and  should  be  mixed  in  all  stiff  grounds.  Further 
information  will  be  given  on  request. 

A  compost  is  made  with  a  layer  of  manure  and  a  layer  of 

366884 


soil,  also  everything  that  is  gathered  up  as  refuse  from  the  garden 
and  lawn  which  ^in  faany  instances  is  left  where  it  is  obnoxious, 
but  if  used  in  a  compost  it  will  be  to  better  advantage.  "A  layer  of 
soil  should  always  be  placed  on  top.  Lime  should  be  used  more 
or  less,  especially  when  the  soil  is  taken  from  a  low  bottom. 
This  compost  should  be  thoroughly  worked  over  at  different 
times  and  lime  should  be  mixed  with  it.  In  many  cases  where 
the  ground  is  composed  of  stiff  clay,  humus  or  leafmould  can  be 
used.  Such  compost  should  always  be  made  at  least  four  or  five 
months  before  using. 


THE  DIGGING  OF  HOLES  FOR  PLANTING. 

It  happens  too  often  that  holes  are  dug  too  small  for  trees 
and  trees  planted  in  such  holes  have  not  the  proper  chance  to 
grow.  The  roots  must  have  some  good  mellow  soil  to  start  in, 
and  if  the  holes  are  dug  too  small  the  roots  will  strike  the  hard 
banks  forming  the  side  of  the  hole,  which  in  most  cases,  is  too 
hard  for  the  fine  roots  to  grow  in,  and  the  tree  will  soon  show 
the  effect  of  the  lack  of  support  from  the  roots  as  in  most  cases 
there  are  not  sufficient  food  properties  for  such  trees. 

The  holes  should  be  dug  according  to  the  size  of  the  tree 
expected  to  be  planted,  but  never  less  than  twelve  or  eighteen 
inches  wider  than  the  spread  of  the  roots  of  the  tree  you  are 
planting.  In  so  doing  you  will  have  a  chance  to  spread  out  the 
roots  in  their  natural  position. 

It  will  be  quite  necessary,  in  order  to  avoid  needless  labor,  to 
know  the  kind  and  size  of  the  tree  you  expect  to  plant,  before 
you  dig  the  hole,  as  it  must  be  remembered  that  some  trees  that 
grow  on  hard  bottom  will  spread  much  more  than  those  that 
grow  in  loose  and  loamy  soil,  where  the  roots  descend  deeper  in 
the  ground.  If  you  expect  to  plant  trees  that  are  from  ten  to 
twelve  feet  in  he:ght,  the  holes  should  be  made  not  less  than 


three  feet  in  diameter  and  from  eighteen  to  twenty  inches  deep, 

depending  on  the  nature  of  the  ground.     Good  soil  should  be 

placed  on  the  bottom  of  the  holes  to  the  proper  height  so  that 

hen  the  trees  are  set  they  will  stand  in  their  natural  position. 

The  planting  of  trees  is  not  always  done  to  the  best  satis- 

;  faction,    particularly    in    locating    them,    and    when    the    trees 

;  grow  to  a  large  size  it  is  then  that  the  mistake  is  noticed,  and  in 

many  cases  it  is  too  late;  therefore  it  will  pay  to  take  advice 

in  regard  to  this  arid  for  large  estates,  or  where  a  large  amount 

of  work  is  to  be  done,  it  will  save  confusion,  time  and  expense 

to  have  plans  made  for  this  particular  work. 

It  is  often  found  that  on  new  places  where  planting  is  most 
needed,  that  the  grounds  have  been  filled  in  with  all  manner  of 
rubbish  and  stones  and  if  an  experienced  man  had  charge  of 
such  work  these  places  would  have  been  filled  in  with  suitable 
material  for  planting,  and  in  so  doing  it  would  have  saved  time 
and  expense.  Large  sums  of  money  have  been  spent  unneces- 
sarily where  no  architect  or  landscape  gardner  has  had  the  work 
in  charge  or  where  no  plans  have  been  made,  which  are  very  es- 
sential in  order  to  get  results.. 


This  picture  shows  a  combination  garden  with  a  tennis 
court  at  the  back  and  a  group  of  evergreens  separating  it  from 
the  garden.  The  garden  consists  of  roses  and  flowers  tastefully 
arranged,  also  an  immense  large  boxwood  sixteen  feet  across 
planted  as  a  centrepiece.  A  broad  border  of  hardy  flowers  and 
bulbs  is  laid  out  between  the  path  and  the  hedge  surrounding  the 
garden.  There  are  four  squares  of  lawn  and  in  the  centrj  of 
each  is  planted  a  fine  specimen  of  Biota  Aurea  Conspicna.  It 
also  shows  an  idea  of  my  own  in  the  way  of  a  summer-house, 
which  looks  neat  and  attractive  and  is  constructed  at  a  little  cost. 


WHY  EARLY  PLANTING  IS  BEST, 
ESPECIALLY  IN  THE  SPRING. 

There  is  a  limit  to  the  time  of  dormant  planting  for  when 
the  weather  begins  to  get  warmer,  the  plants  will  start  to  bud 
out,  and  if  the  planting  is  done  before  this  time  it  will  be  much 
better  as  the  trees  and  shrubs  planted  early  will  have  a  better 
start  before  the  leaves  and  foliage  come  on  and  be  stronger  to 
stand  the  varying  conditions  of  the  weather.  Early  planting 
also  gets  the  benefit  of  the  spring  rains.  It  is  often  found  that 
trees  and  shrubs,  if  planted  after  their  leaves  have  started  to 
bud  out,  have  completely  dried  up  as  the  roots  have  not  been 
in  sufficient  condition  to  support  the  tree. 


THE  SHIPPING  OF  NURSERY  STOCK. 

There  is  often  a  misunderstanding  in  regard  to  the  planting 
seasons.  There  are  two  planting  seasons  every  year  from  March 
to  the  first  of  June  and  in  some  cases  evergreens  are  planted  in 
June  also.  The  planting  seasons  greatly  depend  on  the  weather 
and  the  decidious  trees  and  shrubs  should  be  planted  as  early  as 
the  weather  permits  and  before  the  leaves  start  to  bud  out.  The 
fall  planting  starts  in  the  latter  part  of  August  and  lasts  as  long 
as  it  is  safe  for  shipping.  The  first  planting  in  the  early  spring 
is  usually  started  with  the  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs,  and  later, 
when  the  weather  is  more  settled  the  evergreens  are  planted  with 
more  safety.  The  fall  planting  starts  with  the  evergreens  and 
hardy  flowers  and  then  the  trees  and  shrubs  after  the  leaves  have 
fallen  off.  This  planting  can  be  carried  on  as  long  as  the  weather 
permits  and  if  saved  from  frost.  For  larger  trees  moved  with  a 
ball  of  earth  an  explanation  will  be  given  later  on  in  this  book. 
At  nurseries  in  shipping  seasons  there  is  always  a  rush  and  some- 
times the  shipping  seasons  are  very  short,  depending  upon  the 


weather.  In  order  to  avoid  confusion,  orders  should  be  sent  in 
early,  as  it  often  happens  that  an  order  sent  during  the  rush 
season  is  mislaid  and  great  misunderstanding  and  delay  incurred. 
Orders  are  generally  received  at  any  time  after  the  planting  sea- 
sons are  over  to  be  ready  for  the  next  season,  for  all  orders  are 
filled  as  they  are  received,  except  on  special  occasions. 


THE  RECEIVING  OF  NURSERY  STOCK, 
ESPECIALLY  OF  LARGE  SIZED  TREES. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  nursery  stock  is  delayed  in 
transit  and  often  completely  destroyed.  In  such  cases  it  should 
be  carefully  examined  and  not  removed  from  the  care  of  the 
transportation  company  as  they  are  responsible  for  the  stock. 
Often  the  nurseryman  is  blamed  for  delays  of  this  kind,  but  this 
is  wrong,  as  the  nurseries  have  not  charge  of  the  stock  after  it 
leaves  their  hands.  When  nursery  stock  is  received  it  should  be 
unpacked  as  soon  as  it  reaches  the  grounds,  if  the  weather  per- 
mits and  if  the  ground  is  not  ready  for  planting,  it  should  be 
trenched  so  as  to  protect  the  roots  from  exposure.  Plants  are 
often  left  in  the  air  too  long,  and  it  is  not  always  considered, 
that  the  fine  roots  will  soon  dry,  particularly  in  the  early  spring 
when  the  winds  are  very  severe  and  will  soon  cause  destruction 
to  tender  plants  left  uncovered. 


THE  PLANTING  OF  DECIDUOUS  TREES  AND 

SHRUBS. 

The  planting  of  trees  and  shrubs  has  been  carried  out  on- 
such  a  large  scale  that  there  should  scarcely  be  any  need  of 
further  explanation,  but  I  would  like  to  refresh  the  memory  of 
the  reader  with  some  facts  that  many  do  their  planting  without 
due  consideration,  and  there  should  be  some  difference  between 
setting  a  post  and  planting  a  tree.  A  tree  should  always  be  plant- 
ed where  it  can  have  at  least  six  inches  of  good  top  soil  on  the 
bottom  and  also  plenty  of  good  soil  surrounding  the  roots,  and 
it  should  be  put  in  position  to  correspond  to  the  depth  it  was 
originally,  after  all  bruised  and  broken  roots  have  been  cut  off 
and  the  fine  roots  should  be  carefully  spread  out.  This  method 
should  be  followed  in  all  planting.  No  trees  should  be  planted 
before  being  properly  trimmed  according  to  the  condition  of  the 
roots  and  sharp  tools  should  always  be  used  in  trimming  as  dull 
tools  injure  the  trees. 

Thousand  of  dollars  are  lost  every  year  on  account  of  the 
neglect  of  trimming  newly  planted  trees  and  shrubs,  nursery 
men  and  dealers  are  sometimes  unjustly  blamed  for  such  stock 
dying  when  it  greatly  depends  upon  proper  care  after  the  stock 
has  been  received.  A  practical  planter  will  always  have  the 
roots  of  the  trees  he  plants  bedded  in  fine  mellow  soil.  This 
process  should  be  followed  in  all  kinds  of  planting  and  no  straw, 
leaves  or  manure  or  any  other  light  material,  should  be  allowed 
to  come  in  contact  with  the  roots,  as  it  is  very  injurious  and 
many  trees  have  been  destroyed  on  account  of  this  mistake  which 
is  done  with  the  idea  of  benefitting  the  plants.  Absolutely  noth- 
ing should  be  used  for  planting  or  covering  the  roots,  except 
such  soil  that  can  be  worked  in  between  the  roots,  or  where  it 
has  been  mixed  into  a  compost.  Coarse  manure  and  leaves  can  be 
be  mixed  into  a  compost.  Coarse  manure  and  leaves  can  be 
used  as  mulch  around  the  trees  with  very  good  results  and  will 


keep  the  ground  moist  when  placed  on  top.  The  use  of  a  com- 
post will  always  give  better  results  especially  where  the  ground 
is  poor.  There  are  fertilizers  which  I  can  highly  recommend  to 
take  the  place  of  manure  and  which  can  be  safely  mixed  up  with 
the  soil  and  which  have  proven  to  give  the  very  best  results.  In 
large  planting  I  always  use  in  each  mixture  one  bag  of  pulver- 
ized blood,  one  bag  of  ground  bone,  two  bags  of  pulverized 
sheep  manure.  These  properly  mixed  make  the  best  food  for 
any  plant  and  nothing  can  compare  with  this  combination  as  it 
contains  nothing  but  pure  plant  food  and  small  quantities  can 
be  used  to  each  plant,  that  is  to  say,  the  quantity  has  to  be  regu- 
lated according  to  the  size  of  the  tree  or  plant.  I  would  like  to 
say  in  connection  with  this  matter  of  fertilizer  that  it  is  abso- 
lutely safe  and  no  injury  can  arise  from  its  use. 

T  have  often  been  called  to  examine  trees  that  have  been 
planted  too  deep,  which  will  be  very  easily  noticed  and  it  will 
not  be  necessary  to  say  that  if  trees  are  planted  too  deep,  the 
effect  will  soon  be  shown,  as  the  bark  will  start  to  loosen  from 
the  tree,  and  it  will  gradually  die.  There  are  three  distinct  parts 
to  a  tree :  the  top,  the  trunk  and  the  roots.  The  roots  are  adapted 
to  be  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  if  trees  are  planted  too 
deep  the  stem  which  naturally  should  be  where  it  is  benefited 
by  the  air  but  if  covered  with  the  soil  it  will  soon  show  a  sure 
sign  of  destruction.  However,  all  trees  are  not  alike  in  this  re- 
spect as  some  trees  stand  to  be  planted  much  deeper  than  others. 


10 


THE  PLANTING  OF  EVERGREENS. 

i  have  often  been  requested  to  explain  why  evergreens  re- 
quire more  care  and  attention  than  the  deciduous  trees  and 
shrubs.  The  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs  have  a  time  when  they 
are  in  a  dormant  state,  this  means  that  this  class  of  trees  and 
shrubs  have  a  part  of  the  year  when  they  have  nothing  to  show 
of  the  real  action  of  life,  as  the  foliage  has  fallen  off  due  to 
nature.  During  this  period  the  roots  have  partly  stopped  their 
active  work  and  the  sap  is  not  forced  out  into  the  limbs  of  the 
trees,  which  is  the  case  when  the  leaves  begin  to  grow.  During 
this  time  this  class  of  plants  and  trees  can  be  taken  up  and 
planted  with  much  greater  safety  than  evergreens,  as  they  have 
no  foliage  to  support,  for  now  the  whole  tree  is  resting. 

An  evergreen  has  a  different  habit.  It  has  a  green  foliage  to 
support  the  whole  year  round.  The  most  valuable  evergreens 
are  dug  with  a  ball  of  earth,  that  is,  a  certain  amount  of  soil  is 
left  around  the  roots  so  as  to  keep  them  in  their  natural  position 
and  prevent  them  from  drying  out  until  they  reach  the  destina- 
tion where  they  are  to  be  planted.  An  evergreen  as  well  as  any 
other  plant  should  never  be  allowed  to  remain  unplanted  any 
longer  than  is  absolutely  necessary. 

There  are  many  different  species  of  evergreens  and  most  of 
them  have  a  large  top  to  support,  and  the  foliage  requires  an 
enormous  quantity  of  moisture  which  is  taken  from  the  ground 
by  means  of  the  roots,  also  from  the  air.  It  is  not  generally  real- 
ized that  a  plant  in  healthy  condition  has  somehow  the  peculiar 
power  to  take  a  certain  amount  of  nourishment  from  the  air  which 
is  needed  for  the  support  of  its  foliage,  but  if  the  roots  fail  to  do 
their  active  work  and  the  foliage  commences  to  fade,  the  tree 
will  soon  be  in  a  dying  condition.  It  is  of  great  benefit  to  newly 
planted  evergreens  to  have  them  sprayed  with  water.  If  this  is 
done  in  the  evening  after  a  hot  day  this  will  refresh  the  tree  and 
has  proven  to  be  of  great  advantage.  My  long  experience  has 

11 


proven  that  the  spraying  of  evergreens  is  far  better  than  to  water 
the  roots,  and  in  this  process.,  naturally,  sufficient  water  will  also 
reach  the  roots.  There  is  an  interval  from  the  time  when  the 
evergreen  has  been  dug  up  and  until  the  roots  have  taken  hold 
in  the  new  place  where  it  has  been  planted.  During  this  period 
the  trees  need  to  be  specially  cared  for.  I  cannot  too  strongly 
emphasize  this  point,  as  I  have  often  seen  the  bad  results  of  too 
much  water  being  applied  to  the  roots,  as  they  in  some  cases  turn 
black  and  cannot  stand  the  unusual  quantity  of  water. 

The  planting  and  care  of  trees  is  very  simple  and  easy,  but 
it  requires  some  practice  in  order  to  get  a  proper  result,  and  my 
advice  cannot  mislead  as  it  is  based  on  practical  experience. 

For  smaller  evergreen  planting  the  result  will  greatly  de- 
pend on  the  weather  as  these  plants,  in  most  cases,  have  to  de- 
pend on  their  own  roots  and  have  less  care.  If  this  planting, 
including  forest  planting,  is  done  early  it  will  be  a  great  deal 
better  on  account  of  the  spring  rains.  It  is  well  known  that  an 
evergreen  planted  without  a  ball  of  earth  will  be  safer  to  plant 
at  a  time  when  the  plant  is  about  to  bud.  But  in  estates  where 
large  amounts  are  to  be  planted,  it  would  be  almost  impossible 
to  regulate  that  part  of  the  time.  It  would  be  bad  to  do  this 
planting  late  in  the  season  and  in  general  the  early  planting  has 
proven  to  give  better  results  than  the  later  planting. 

Forest  planting  has  been  carried  out  on  a  large  scale  especi- 
ally in  the  western  states,  but  for  the  last  fifteen  years  it  has  been 
more  generally  understood  what  a  great  pleasure  and  benefit  it 
is  to  have  a  little  forest  planting  done  now  and  then.  Twenty 
years  ago,  when  I  so  strongly  advised  the  great  need  of  proper 
attention  to  natural  forests,  it  was  not  much  thought  of,  but 
better  results  have  shown  since  that  time.  I  then  advised  that 
large  amounts  of  evergreens  should  be  planted  in  our  natural 
forests  not  only  for  the  beauty  but  also  for  the  protection  of 
game.  Forest  planting  should  be  considered  as  a  necessity  not 
only  for  pleasure  but  for  its  use,  and  our  natural  woods  will  pro- 

12 


vide  place  for  planting  not  only  evergreens  but  for  more  hard 
wood  trees,  which  will  be  in  great  demand  in  time  to  come.  For 
smaller  forest  planting  it  should  be  carefully  considered  that  in 
many  places  there  will  not  be  sufficient  soil  as  the  surface  of  the 
ground  often  consists  of  stones  and  refuse  from  the  trees  which 
are  not  desirable  to  plant  in,  and  therefore  it  will  be  of  great 
value  to  have  some  fine  soil  delivered  to  certain  places  and  only 
a  small  amount  is  needed  for  each  plant.  The  plants  should  be 
held  between  the  two  hands  in  the  holes  made  for  planting.  The 
hands  held  in  this  manner  will  prevent  sticks  and  leaves  from 
coming  in  contact  with  the  roots  which  should  be  strictly  avoided 
but  will  do  for  surface  covering. 


PLANTING  IN  GENERAL,  ALSO  IN  LARGE 
SIZES  OF  TREES. 

There  are  two  planting  seasons  for  evergreens  as  well  as 
deciduous  trees,  but  I  prefer  the  spring  planting  for  evergreens, 
but  the  latter  part  of  August  and  the  month  of  September  are 
also  the  general  time  for  evergreen  planting,  the  fall  planting  is 
not  always  in  favor  on  account  of  the  dry  and  hot  weather  which 
are  partly  the  objection  fo'r  evergreen  planting  at  that  time.  If 
evergreens  are  planted  late  in  the  season  they  will  not  have  a 
good  start  before  the  cold  weather  sets  in,  and  it  is  often  that 
-  tries  planted  late  in  the  season  will  die,  this  is  in  most  cases  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  roots  have  not  been  in  working  order  before 
the  cold  sets  in  and  it  is  quite  clear  that  an  evergreen  must  be  in 
good  order  to  stand  the  winter.  If  an  evergreen  is  moved  with 
a  large  ball  of  earth  it  is  quite  safe  to  be  moved  almost  at  any 
time.  Evergreens  in  sizes  up  to  forty  feet  have  been  moved  on 
a  large  scale  in  many  extensive  estates  where  such  planting  has 
been  desired. 

13 


This  picture  shows  an  old  farm  house  where  the  ground  is 
planted  with  good  sized  trees  with  the  result  of  an  attractive 
effect  which  would  have  taken  many  years  if  planted  with  small 
trees. 


14 


The  deciduous  t.ees  are  more  easy  to  handle  than  the  ever- 
greens in  large  sizes.  It  has  been  previously  mentioned  that  the 
former  trees  are  safer  to  move  as  they  are  without  foliage  at  the 
time  such  work  is  done  and  they  will  stand  more  exposure  as- 
long  as  the  root  can  be  kept  safe  from  freezing  and  drying.  Thevr 
can  be  moved  at  any  time  during  the  dormant  state.  Large  trees 
have  also  been  moved  when  the  foliage  has  been  in  full  prime, 
but  this  is  not  advisable  and  is  only  done  on  special  occasions  and 
done  with  great  care.  The  large  deciduous  trees  can  be  moved 
much  easier  than  the  handling  of  evergreens  of  the  same  size. 
The  deciduous  can  be  trimmed  to  suit  the  conditions,  but  ever- 
greens are  not  adapted  to  be  trimmed  as  are  the  previous  trees 
and  shrubs.  It  is  often  found  that  the  bark  of  newly  planted 
trees  will  crack.  This  is  mostly  the  case  in  trees  where  the  roots 
are  not  in  working  order  and  they  have  not  obtained  their  needed 
moisture.  This  happens  not  only  in  trees  of  large  size  but  also 
in  trees  shipped  from  nurseries,  if  planted  late  in  *he  spring, 
especially  trees  over  three  or  four  inches  in  calibre.  For  late 
planted  trees  it  has  been  found  of  great  benefit  to  have  the  stem 
covered  with  straw  matting  or  heavy  burlap,  this  will  help  to 
hold  the  moisture  until  the  roots  are  in  working  order.  This 
method  is  used  not  only  for  late  planted  trees  but  is  a  benefit  in 
any  occasion,  however  this  material  should  not  be  left  around 
the  trees  more  than  one  season  on  account  of  insects  which  often 
gather  in  such  places.  It  is  well  known  that  the  very  best  of 
trees  can  go  back  and  die  and  in  many  cases  it  is  the  proper  care 
of  a  tree  after  planting  that  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  ex- 
pected success.  Sometimes  it  happens  large  trees  are  required 
to  be  moved  but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  is  not  only  the 
cost  for  moving  the  trees,  but  the  care  of  the  trees  after  planting 
are  also  connected  with  expense,  the  spraying,  the  guiding  and 
the  mulching  of  trees  are  mentioned  in  other  paragraphs  in  this 
book.  It  is  also  the  digging  around  the  trees  which  is  of  great 
importance,  not  only  for  large  trees  but  also  for  smaller  trees  and 

15 


shrubs.  It  is  often  seen  where  weeds  and  grass  are  allowed  to 
grow  among  the  shrubbery  and  young  evergreens  and  in  many 
cases  the  stock  planted  is  completely  smothered  and  dryed  out. 
and  it  also  takes  all  the  food  products  away  from  the  plants. 
Stock  is  frequently  found  with  a  heap  of  earth  banked  around 
the  stem;  this  is  very  wrong,  the  earth  should  be  thoroughly  dug 
up  at  different  times  during  the  season  so  that  the  ground  may 
become  mellow  and  when  it  rains  the  water  can  more  easily  work 
down  to  the  roots  and  they  will  be  kept  moist  for  a  longer  period. 
Larger  trees  should  be  dug  around  for  two  or  three  seasons, 
during  which  time  a  larger  space  can  be  cultivated  and  then  can 
be  narrowed  up  as  circumstances  may  require.  Around  small 
trees  the  ground  should  be  worked  up  forming  what  is  called  a 
"water  dish,"  this  will  prevent  -the  water  from  running  off,  when 
it  rains. 

The  transplanting  of  large  trees  has  become  very  common 
and  it  is  nothing  to  get  an  order  to  move  trees  that  are  forty-five 
to  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  we  have  all  evidence  to  show  that 
this  can  be  done  with  good  results  if  proper  care  is  taken  after 
the  trees  are  planted. 


16 


THE  MULCHING  AND  WINTER  PROTECTION. 

The  mulching  is  very  important  in  many  cases,  especially 
where  flowers  and  smaller  plants  have  been  planted  late  in  the 
season.  It  often  happens  that  where  no  cover  has  been  used, 
such  plants  have  completely  worked  out  of  the  ground  and  have 
been  destroyed  from  exposure.  This  is  due  to  the  changeable 
weather.  The  freezing  and  thawing  sometimes  causes  the 
ground  to  heave  and  leaves  the  plants  on  top  of  the  ground.  If 
covered  with  compost,  manure,  leaves  or  anything  which  will 
protect  them  and  retain  a  more  regular  temperature,  so  that 
when  it  thaws  it  will  not  affect  the  ground  under  the  cover  but 
will  allow  the  frost  to  pass  off  gradually,  the  ground  will  also 
be  enriched. 

Many  delicate  plants  can  be  protected  through  the  winter 
by  covering.  Judgment  must  be  used  in  the  matter  of  covering. 
It  is  frequently  noticed  that  plants  which  have  been  covered  too 
early,  have  been  completely  destroyed  by  bugs  and  creepers  of 
all  kinds.  These  insects  live  in  just  such  places  in  the  winter 
and  cause  great  destruction  to  the  plants. 

All  plants  that  demand  protection  for  the  winter  should 
not  be  covered  until  there,  has  been  some  cold  weather  which 
will  kill  the  insects.  If  the  old  tops  of  the  flowers  have  not 
been  cut  off  it  should  be  done  now  and  the  plants  covered  with 
a  coat  of  mulching  or  manure.  Any  plants  which  are  very  sensi- 
tive to  cold  should  be  taken  inside  for  the  winter,  during,  the 
mcnth  of  November  or  before,  depending  on  the  climate. 

Early  mulching  not  only  affords  a  coonvenient  hiding  place 
for  destructive  insects,  but  by  becoming  too  warm,  will  start 
the  plant  growing.  This  new  growth  will  be  injured  later  by 
the  cold  weather.  Plants  cannot  stand  too  heavy  covering  of 
this  kind  if  the  weather  is  mild,  but  if  the  ground  has  been 
slightly  frozen  before  mulching  the  temperature  will  be  better 
regulated  and  thus  insure  their  preservation. 

17 


Not  only  are  flowers  and  other  plants  heavily  covered,  but 
roses  are  often  bundled  up  early  in  the  fall.  If  there  is  a  period 
of  warm  weather,  great  harm  is  done  by  the  buds  starting  to 
grow  and  becoming  frozen  later.  The  bark  is  often  completely 
ruined  by  injurious  insects.  Such  a  covering  should  not  be 
applied  until  there  has  been  some  cold  weather  and  then  only  a 
light  one  is  necessary. 

There  may  be  cases  where  some  delicate  plants  need  to  be 
covered  early.  It  would  be  well  to  spray  such  plants  and  spread 
some  wood  ashes  or  tobacco  stems  on  the  ground  before  cover- 
ing- 
Only  the  delicate  varieties  of  evergreens,  such  as  Japanese 
and  Boxwoods  are  covered.  Especially  the  first  year  after  they 
have  been  planted  and  wherever  there  is  much  exposure  to  the 
wind.  In  many  cases  the  'snow  and  the  sun  do  more  damage 
than  the  cold,  as  the  tender  foliage  cannot  stand  the  strong  sun 
after  exposure  to  cold  and  snow.  Most  of  our  evergreens  are 
very  hardy  and  can  stand  the  cold  without  protection.  Spruces 
and  pines  are  often  planted  as  wind-breakers  and  as  protection 
for  more  delicate  plants,  flower  gardens  and  places  where  shelter 
is  needed  on  account  of  their  size  and  strength  for  withstanding 
the  storms  of  the  winter. 

The  protection  of  these  delicate  varieties  of  evergreens  can 
be  carried  out  in  many  ways.  A  very  inexpensive  way  is  with 
long  straw  or  corn  stalks.  Four  heavy  sticks  are  necessary  for 
a  large  plant.  Place  these  firmly  in  the  ground  with  the  small 
ends  up  and  then  fasten  the  tops  together  with  a  heavy  cord  or 
wire.  The  sticks  should  be  bound  together  their  full  length  at 
intervals  of  two  feet  in  order  to  give  the  covering  support  with 
out  crowding  the  plant.  A  heavy  covering  is  not  necessary  ex- 
cept in  special  cases  and  then  manure  can  be  placed  around, 
which  will  hold  it  firmly  to  the  ground.  Branches  of  evergreens 
wherever  available  are  the  most  suitable  for  winter  covering. 
If  such  branches  are  a  little  taller  than  the  plants  which  you  are 

18 


covering  they  will  serve  as  a  very  suitable  protection  by  merely 
placing  them  in  the  ground  around  the  plants  and  tying  their 
tops  together.  Only  a  very  thin  screen  is  necessary  to  protect 
them  from  the  wind  and  snow  and  to  prevent  the  sun  from 
scourching  them  after  a  heavy  frost.  Some  plants  will  not 
stand  the  sun  on  their  tops  after  a  heavy  frost  on  account  of  the 
quick  change.  This  method  is  much  better  and  easier  to  carry 
out. 

The  covering  and  mulching  of  lawns  is  very  necessary  to 
keep  them  in  good  condition.  The  fine  grass  will  not  stand  the 
changeable  weather  as  is  shown  by  the  appearance  of  bare  spots 
in  the  spring.  These  spots  are  caused  by  the  heaving  of  the 
ground  which  leaves  the  roots  on  the  top  of  the  ground  to  die 
of  exposure.  This  is  especially  dangerous  to  newly  planted 
lawns  where  the  grass  is  young  and  tender  and  the  very  small 
roots  have  only  a  slight  hold  in  the  ground. 

Although  straw  or  any  light  material  may  serve  as  covering 
an<^  winter  protection  for  lawns  there  are  many  instances  where 
after  having  been  used  for  years,  it  has  been  found  unsatisfact- 
ory Each  year  where  most  remains  the  grass  grows  over  it, 
finally  forming  a  coat  of  which  the  roots  take  hold.  Frequently 
this  coat  scales  off  and  leaves  bare  spots  which  are  very  notice- 
able. These  places  should  be  reseeded  and  rolled  as  soon  as  the 
ground  permits.  The  rolling  is  necessary  every  Spring  to  press 
the  roots  into  the  ground  and  to  produce  a  smoother  surface. 

There  is  nothing  better  than  compost  for  lawns.  This  if 
very  substantial  and  contains  all  the  necessary  grass  food.  If 
the  ground  is  naturally  hard  or  clay,  plenty  of  humus  or  leaf 
mold  should  be  mixed  with  compost.  Wood  ashes  are  splendid 
for  garden  use  and  for  mixing  with  compost.  In  many  cases 
wood  ashes  are  thrown  on  roads  and  paths  where  they  might 
serve  as  an  excellent  fertilizer  for  garden  and  for  placing  around 
fruit  trees. 

The  full  directions  for  the  preparation  of  compost  have  a» 

19 


ready  been  given  in  this  book.  The  best  result  will  be  obtained 
if  the  compost  is  put  on  as  a  lawn  dressing  after  the  cold  weather 
has  set  in.  In  early  spring  the  lawn  should  be  raked  and  rolled. 
The  material  left  after  the  raking  is  substantial  enough  and  con- 
tains enough  food  products  for  the  grass. 

The  mulching  in  summer  for  keeping  the  ground  moist  and 
'.round  newly  planted  trees  has  already  been  described. 


THE  GUIDING  OF  NEWLY  PLANTED  TREES. 

It  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  have  trees  guided,  espec- 
ially trees  of  large  size.  In  guiding  trees  it  will  not  only  keep 
them  in  proper  position  but  also  lead  to  a  quicker  growth,  as  it 
will  be  almost  impossible  for  the  roots  to  take  hold  if  the  top  of 
the  tree  is  waving  to  and  fro  in  the  wind,  and  often  such  trees 
have  been  blown  over  to  a  certain  extent  and  they  have  to  be  re- 
planted. Trees  up  to  fourteen  feet  should  be  guided  with  one 
stick  firmly  in  the  ground  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  and  close 
to  the  stem.  This  stick  should  be  from  five  to  six  feet  from  the 
ground  after  being  set  in  place.  A  small  piece  of  burlap  or  hose 
is  fastened  around  the  tree  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  stick 
and  stout  cord  to  bind  the  stick  and  the  tree  firmly  together.  The 
string  is  wrapped  around  the  tree  two  or  three  times  to  hold  the 
burlap  in  place.  It  is  then  carried  around  several  times  taking 
in  both  the  stick  and  the  tree  within  an  inch  of  the  top  of  the 
stick  then  the  string  is  forced  several  times  between  the  stick  and 
the  tree  and  then  firmly  tied.  In  doing  this  for  smaller  sizes  of 
trees  it  will  keep  them  firm  and  look  neat.  Large  trees  should 
always  be  guided  with  three  wires  at  an  equal  distance  where 
sticks  have  to  be  used  for  fastening  the  wires  and  when  the  wires 
are  fastened  the  sticks  should  be  cut  off  level  with  the  ground 
as  it  gives  a  better  appearance.  This  method  is  also  followed  in 
guiding  evergreens  with  the  understanding  that  small  evergreens 

20 


aic  more  adapted  to  be  guided  with  wires  than  with  sticks  and  it 
will  he  plain  that  in  guiding  larger  trees  more  substantial  guides 
will  be  needed,  and  sticks  not  less  than  two  feet  in  the  ground 
for  your  wire  guide. 

Large  clumsy  sticks  should  never  be  used  in  guiding  small 
trees,  as  they  will  not  harmonize  with  a  well-kept  place.  Well 
seasoned  sticks  not  larger  than  the  calibre  of  the  trees  should  be 
used.  It  is  sometimes  seen  where  large  clumsy  sticks  have  broken 
loose  and  hang  resting  on  small  trees.  This  not  only  looks  bad 
but  it  is  an  injury  to  the  trees.  The  guiding  of  trees,  however, 
greatly  depends  on  the  condition  of  the  ground  and  where  the 
ground  is  made  up  of  new-filled  or  where  the  ground  is  un- 
usually loose,  the  guiding  and  sticking  of  trees  should  be  adapted 
tc  the  need,  as  it  is  quite  necessary  to  have  the  sticks  deeper  in 
the  ground  where  the  ground  is  soft  in  order  to  make  a  sub- 
stantial job  especially  for  large  trees.  After  a  tree  has  been 
guided  a  whole  season  it  will  be  well  to  take  the  burlap  off  and  if 
the  guide  is  still  needed  a  new  piece  of  burlap  can  be  put  on. 
When  the  burlap  is  removed  after  the  first  season  it  is  quite 
important  to  have  the  stem  thoroughly  cleansed  as  it  is  often 
found  that  insects  lay  their  eggs  under  just  such  a  cover,  it  will 
als<>  give  the  trees  a  better  chance  to  expand. 


21 


It  is  not  only  the  transplanting  of  large  trees  that  is  of  great 
interest,  but  also  specimen  dwarf  shrubs  and  dwarf  evergreens, 
such  as  boxwood  and  other  plants  of  great  merit  which  sometimes 
grow  to  an  immense  size  and  beauty.  The  accompanying  picture 
shows  a  boxwood  ten  feet  high  and  sixteen  feet  spread,  with  a 
ball  of  over  twelve  feet.  This  was  moved  and  planted  in  North 
Carolina. 


22 


TO  SELECT  TREES  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF 
MOVING  THEM. 

It  is  often  overlooked  and  great  mistakes  are  made  in  se- 
lecting trees  and  an  experienced  man  should  examine  such  trees 
intended  for  moving  and  trees  needed  for  this  purpose  should  be 
in  the  prime  of  health.  It  too  often  happens  that  trees  are  moved 
without  being  examined  and  if  unhealthy  trees  are  moved  it  will 
only  be  a  great  disappointment,  as  the  expense  for  moving  an 
unhealthy  tree  is  the  same  as  if  the  tree  had  been  in  a  good  con- 
dition. It  is  not  advisable  to  do  this  kind  of  work  except  it  is 
fully  understood  that  it  is  connected  with  more  or  less  expense 
after  the  trees  are  planted.  It  takes  a  generation  to  grow  a  large 
tree,  and  what  nature  has  done  for  many  years  in  order  to  pro- 
duce a  large  size  tree,  it  cannot  be  expected  to  be  done  without 
the  best  of  care.  It  is  not  often  realized  what  a  great  demand 
of  nourishment  a  large  tree  will  need.  My  attention  has  often 
been  called  to  examine  large  specimen  trees  that  have  been  left 
where  grading  or  excavating  have  been  done  and  sometimes 
found  a  mound  of  earth  from  thirty-five  to  forty-five  feet  wide 
left  around  the  tree.  In  most  cases  such  trees  will  gradually 
die.  In  the  first  place  the  ground  is  graded  to  a  slope  all  around 
the  tree  preventing  the  water  from  getting  at  the  roots,  and  in 
long  dry  spells  the  tree  will  suffer  from  the  want  of  moisture. 
In  the  second  place  part  of  the  food  supply  has  been  cut  off  from 
the  tree,  such  trees  will  show  from  year  to  year  the  effect  of 
destruction  and  gradually  will  die  for  the  lack  of  proper  atten- 
tion from  the  start. 

It  will  be  of  great  value  for  such  trees  if  a  concrete  wall 
were  built  around  the  mound  at  a  proper  distance  from  the  tree 
to  be  level  with  the  bottom  of  the  tree.  Inside  of  the  wall  good 
rich  soil  or  compost  should  be  packed  to  the  level  of  the  wall,  if 
this  is  done  it  will  prevent  the  great  waste  of  water  and  be  what 
is  needed  for  the  tree.  This  gives  an  idea  how  important  it  is  in 

23 


Often  trees  of  medium  size  have  to  be  moved  from  difficult 
places  and  during  the  season  when  such  work,  in  general,  cannot 
be  done.  It  has  occurred  at  different  times  that  trees  have 
been  too  heavy  to  handle  without  the  aid  of  implements.  My 
patent  tree  lifter  is  a  very  simple  arrangement  but  has  pro-yen 
to  be  of  great  value  for  moving  this  kind  of  tree.  The  object 
of  this  is  to  lift  a  tree  straight  up  from  the  hole  after  it  has  been 
balled  and  can  be  carried  with  ease  anywhere.  This  will  prevent 
the  bi  caking  of  the  fine  roots  which  is  often  the  case  when  trees 
are  tipped  over.  Tt  will  also  hold  the  ball  firm  together.  This 
picture  shows  the  general  idea. 

24 


moving  large  trees  and  the  great  need  of  as  many  roots  as  pos- 
sible and  often  a  ball  for  large  trees  is  dug  eighteen  feet  across 
depending  on  the  location  where  such  trees  are  grown.  There 
are  many  different  ways  to  move  trees,  however.  The  best  and 
safest  way  for  moving  trees  that  have  not  been  transplanted  is 
to  dig  a  trench  around  them  s.  proper  distance  from  the  trunk 
two  or  three  years  before  the  trees  are  moved  and  the  trench 
refilled  and  if  necessary  with  better  materials — in  so  doing  the 
roots  will  heal  and  fine  fibres  will  grow  out  and  the  trees  will  be 
as  good  as  transplanted  and  will  give  better  results  in  moving. 

Large  trees  can  be  moved  without  any  earth  if  the  roots  are 
properly  cared  for  and  moved  without  risk  of  freezing  if  the 
roots  are  not  left  too  much  exposed.  If  such  trees  are  planted 
in  with  good  soil  and  plenty  of  water  so  that  the  roots  get  settled 
in  their  natural  position  in  the  soft  puddle  as  we  call  this  kind 
of  planting  "puddling  trees."  This  has  proven  a  very  good  way 
and  gives  an  excellent  result. 

I  have  often  found  that  the  spread  of  the  roots  much  depends 
on  the  top  and  I  fully  believe  that  the  top  will  show  how  far  the 
roots  are  spreading  and  the  digging  around  the  tree  should  be 
judged  accordingly.  For  instance  a  cedar  in  some  parts  of  the 
country  grows  s.encler  and  tall  and  cedars  of  this  kind,  from  six- 
teen to  eighteen  feet  in  height  can  safely  be  taken  up  and  planted 
with  a  solid  ball  of  earth  from  three  to  three  and  a  half  feet 
across  and  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  thick,  depending 
where  they  grow.  In  some  locations,  especially  in  the  south,  the 
same  species  of  trees  and  the  same  size,  will  require  a  ball  of 
earth  from  six  to  seven  feet  across.  This  is  due  to  the  great 
spread  of  the  top  and  such  trees  are  more  diffcult  to  move  and 
require  greater  care. 


25 


THE  USE  OF  DYNAMITE  IN  PREPARING  THE 
GROUND  FOR  PLANTING. 

Twenty  years  ago  when  I  first  used  dynamite  to  save  labor 
in  digging  holes  for  large  tree  planting,  it  was  not  then  thought 
of  using  dynamite  for  agricultural  purposes  and  tree  planting, 
but  now  it  has  become  more  popular  and  is  being  used  in  large 
quantities  on  many  occasions.  For  the  past  ten  years  I  have 
done  much  planting  and  dynamite  has  been  used  on  a 
large  scale  with -great  advantage  for  large  as  well  as  small  plant- 
ing, and  it  is  indispensible  in  loosening  the  ground,  especially 
where  it  consists  of  clay  or  hard  shale,  and  it  has  proven  to  be  of 
great  benefit  to  the  trees  in  many  ways.  In  the  first  place  it  is 
very  easy  to  dig  a  hole  after  a  small  amount  of  dynamite  has  been 
used.  This  will  also  loosen  the  ground  in  the  bottom  and  will 
give  a  better  drainage  to  the  water  which  in  many  cases  will  stand 
for  a  length  of  time  and  often  the  roots  turn  black  and  the 
trees  will  eventually  perish.  For  small  planting  half  a  stick  of 
dynamite  will  be  sufficient  but  for  larger  tree  planting  from  one 
to  five  sticks  will  be  required,  depending  on  the  size  of  the  tree 
you  are  to  plant  and  the  kind  of  ground  you  are  working  in. 
For  smaller  trees  and  shrubs  that  are  to  be  planted  in  groups  the 
dynamite  should  be  placed  in  holes  from  three  to  four  feet  apart 
and  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  deep.  A  third  of  a  stick  of 
dynamite  will  often  be  enough,  this,  however,  depends  on  the 
nature  of  the  ground.  If  large  trees  have  to  be  planted,  the 
charge  must  be  regulated  accordingly.  In  setting  off  a  charge 
it  is  very  important  to  use  a  battery  as  it  is  easy  to  do  and  safe 
to  handle.  It  frequently  happens  that  a  tree  planted  as  a  speci- 
men goes  back  from  its  original  foliage  and  color,  and  this  oc- 
curs not  only  in  planted  trees  but  also  in  natural  growing  trees. 
The  reason  in  most  cases  is  that  the  tree  is  starving  and  is  in 
need  of  nourishment.  It  seldom  fails  to  give  good  results  if  a 
trench  is  made  around  the  tree  two  feet  wide  and  two  feet  deep 

26 


with  the  understanding  that  no  roots  or  small  fibres  should  be 
cut.  The  trench  should  be  made  from  three  to  five  feet  from  the 
stem  of  the  tree  and  in  some  cases  wider  depending  on  the  size 
of  the  tree.  The  trench  should  be  filled  in  with  good  rich  com- 
post which  must  be  solid  packed,  and  three  or  four  ordinary 
drainage  tiles,  should  be  placed  in  the  trench  at  equal  distances 
from  each  other  standing  upright  from  the  bottom  of  the  trench, 
the  upper  end  will  serve  for  watering  purposes.  In  watering 
such  trees  you  will  find  that  as  long  as  the  water  sucks  away  from 
the  tiles  the  tree  is  dry  but  when  the  water  stands  in  the  tile?  no 
more  water  is  needed.  This  method  of  using  tiles  is  also  used  in 
large  tree  planting  and  gives  good  satisfaction. 

Dynamite  has  been  used  for  the  same  purpose  and  has  given 
quick  results  but  it  should  be  used  with  great  care,  the  holes 
should  be  made  from  two  to  two  and  a  half  feet  deep  and  if  the 
tree  is  from  six  to  eight  inches  in  diameter  the  holes  should  be 
made  from  four  to  five  feet  from  the  stem  and  in  five  different 
places  about  equal  distance  apart  forming  a  circle  around  the 
tree.  A  third  of  a  stick  of  dynamite  will  be  well  to  start  with, 
but  not  any  more  should  be  used  for  smaller  trees  and  sometimes 
a  quarter  of  a  stick  is  plenty.  For  larger  trees  the  holes  should 
be  made  from  six  to  eight  and  even  ten  feet  from  the  stem,  de- 
pending on  the  size  of  the  tree,  and  eight  to  ten  holes  can  be 
used.  For  very  large  trees  ten  to  twelve  holes  will  be  needed 
and  not  less  than  three  feet  deep  and  a  third  to  half  a  stick  of 
dynamite  can  be  used  but  this  will  depend  on  the  nature  of  the 
soil  at  the  bottom.  After  such  blasting  is  done  rich  manure  water 
chould  be  forced  in  together  with  good  soil  into  the  holes  so  as 
to  get  the  empty  spaces  in  the  ground  perfectly  airtight.  In  this 
case,  if  needed,  a  tile  can  also  be  used  with  the  same  result  as  I 
have  mentioned  before.  Dynamite  has  been  used  in  the  same 
manner  for  taking  up  large  trees  for  transplanting  when  trees 
are  moved  without  any  large  ball  of  earth,  but  where  as  rmicn 
of  the  roots  as  possible  are  taken  with  it.  The  dynamite  is 

27 


placed  in  the  same  position  as  has  been  previously  described  or.lv 
closer  together  and  in  most  cases  less  dynamite  in  each  hole,  and 
care  should  be  taken  to  work  the  holes  between  the  roots  so  as  not 
to  injure  the  roots.  This  way  of  taking  up  trees  has  not  been  in 
general  use  but  I  have  found  it  a  very  good  way  and  if  handled 
carefully  so  many  roots  will  not  be  destroyed  as  sometimes  when 
dug  with  a  spade,  as  many  fine  firbes  are  cut  without  any  thought. 
For  the  planting  of  hedges  in  difficult  places  holes  should  be 
made  from  three  to  four  feet  apart  and  even  closer  and  from  a 
quarter  to  a  third  of  a  stick  of  dynamite  should  be  used  depend- 
ing upon  the  kind  of  ground,  holes  to  be  from  fifteen  to  eighteen 
inches  deep.  By  so  doing  a  hedge  can  be  planted  in  almost  any 
tUce.  The  same  manner  is  used  for  trenching  or  drainage  only 
with  deeper  holes  and  heavier  charge  depending  on  the  ditch  or 
channel  you  expect  to  make.  Enormous  quantities  of  dynamite 
are  used  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  do  without  it  for  clearing 
land,  blasting  stumps  and  rocks  and  other  heavy  work  of  this 
character.  The  use  of  dynamite  is  clearly  explained  in  magazines 
arid  books  given  out  by  the  DuPont  Powder  Company. 


THE  TRIMMING  OF  DECIDUOUS  TREES  AND 

SHRUBS. 

Trimming  is  done  in  many  ways.  Flowering  shrubs  are  often 
ruined  especially  when  a  shrub  of  tall  grown  habit  is  trimmed  to 
a  short  stubby  bush  in  order  to  obtain  a  different  shape  from  the 
original  habit.  In  the  first  place  the  flowers  are  in  most  cases 
cut  off  and  if  trimmed  too  often  during  the  season  it  will  soon 
be  so  thick  at  the  bottom  that  it  will  smother  itself.  We 
have  in  cultivation  plants  of  all  description  and  where  a  plant  of 
globe  shape  is  needed  it  can  be  obtained  exactly  as  you  want  it, 
and  no  better  can  be  produced  artifically.  It  will  pay  to  look  over 

28 


a  description  catalogue  as  it  plainly  explains  the  natural  habit  of 
every  shrub  and  tree  that  is  grown  and  it  will  give  you  more 
pleasure  and  save  time. 

The  trimming  of  trees  and  shrubs  including  fruit  trees  is 
not  always  done  to  the  best  advantage  and  need.  Too  often  trees 
and  shrubs  are  trimmed  from  the  top  only  but  not  thinned  out 
from  the  inside,  which  in  most  cases  is  the  most  important.  You 
cannot  grow  fruit  trees  and  expect  to  obtain  first  class  fruit  ex- 
cept you  are  careful  in  the  trimming  and  not  leave  too  much  of 
a  thicket  on  the  top.  It  means  that  there  shall  be  every  chance 
for  the  sun  and  air  to  come  in  contact  with  the  fruit.  There  are 
also  many  shrubs  that  will  not  stand  much  trimming  from  the 
top  such  as  lilac,  magnolia  and  many  other  species.  If  such  trees 
are  trimmed  too  much  at  the  top,  the  buds  will  be  cut  off  with 
the  result  that  the  shrubs  will  bear  no  flowers  that  season.  Be- 
fore trimming  is  done  trees  and  shrubs  should  be  carefully  looked 
over  and  no  inexperienced  person  should  do  this  except  with 
advice.  There  are  special  cases  where  trimming  needs  to  be 
done  in  a  different  way,  mostly  where  young  deciduous  shrubs  and 
hedges  are  planted.  For  instance,  in  planting  a  privet  hedge,  if 
this  is  cut  down  to  the  ground  it  will  be  easier  for  the  roots  to 
produce  young  healthy  growth  which  will  come  up  thick  from  the 
bottom  and  make  a  more  beautiful  hedge  and  be  much  easier  to 
keep  in  shape,  but  this  trimming  is  usually  done  to  a  privet  edge 
only  and  not  for  shrubbery  in  general,  except  where  a  shrub  has 
died  down  to  the  bottom  and  if  cut  off  to  the  ground  it  sometimes 
produces  a  new  growth.  I  have  mentioned  before  sharp  tools 
should  always  be  used  for  all  kinds  of  trimming  including  the 
flowers.  It  means  not  only  flowers  on  a  shrub  but  also  for 
flowers  in  general.  If  a  flower  is  broken  off  leaving  a  ragged 
and  split  stump  it  will  produce  less  flowers  and  be  destructive  to 
the  plant.  If  a  flower  is  cut  with  scissors  or  a  sharp  knife  the 
cut  will  heal  and  sprout  out  close  to  the  cut. 


29 


THE  TRIMMING  OF  EVERGREENS. 

It  has  partly  been  explained  why  evergreens  are  not  trimmed 
so  much  in  general  as  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs.  This  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  evergreens  will  not  stand  to  be  trimmed  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  previous  kind,  as  they  require  a  more  particular 
time  for  the  trimming.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  not  done  so  mucn 
because  this  class  of  trees  grows  more  compact  and  makes  more 
of  a  specimen  plant.  Many  evergreens  are  trimmed  for  special 
purposes  as  well  as  for  better  results.  The  best  time  for  trim- 
ming evergreens  is  when  the  bunds  start  to  break,  generally  in 
May  or  the  first  part  of  June.  If  evergreens  are  trimmed  at  the 
same  time  as  deciduous  trees  it  often  leaves  a  dead  stump  which 
will  stay  for  a  long  time,  but  if  trimmed  when  they  are  in  their 
prime  of  growth  or  growing  season,  the  cut  will  heal  and  grow 
over.  Often  in  moving  evergreens  limbs  and  small  twigs  are 
accidently  broken.  These  should  be  carefully  cut  off  before  they 
show  a  bad  color.  Cedars  are  one  kind  of  evergreens  that  can 
stand  trimming  much  better  than  many  other  species  of  this  kind. 
Cedars  often  go  back  on  the  color  after  being  planted  for  dif- 
ferent reasons  and  if  trimmed  close  in  proper  time  it  often  pro- 
duces a  thick  growth  and  will  make  a  fine  specimen.  Cedars 
have  been  planted  for  the  last  fifteen  or  twenty  years  and  can- 
not be  too  highly  valued  for  the  fine  effect  where  such  planting 
is  needed,  and  if  handled  with  special  care,  almost  any  size  can 
be  planted  with  good  result. 


THE  TRIMMING  OF  NATURAL  GROWN  TREES 
IN  GENERAL. 

It  is  so  common  to  see  that  holes  have  been  formed  in  the 
stems  of  trees,  especially  of  large  sizes,  and  this  is  in  almost  every 
case  from  a  limb  which  has  been  dead  and  started  to  decay  on 
the  tree  and  it  will  not  be  long  before  the  tree  shows  the  effect 

30 


of  destruction  to  a  certain  extent,  which  like  a  disease,  grows 
worse  every  year.  If  the  limbs  are  not  taken  off  properly  after 
the  circulation  of  the  sap  has  stopped  in  that  dead  limb,  it  will 
not  only  dry  from  the  top  but  it  will  start  to  decay  from  the 
heart  of  the  limb  as  it  will  not  stand  the  moisture  from  the  live 
part  of  the  tree  after  being  cut  out  of  the  natural  order  to  take 
up  the  sap  supplied  by  the  roots  of  the  tree.  This  damage  to 
trees  is  not  only  in  such  cases  where  dead  limbs  are  left  until 
they  fall  off  themselves,  the  same  result  will  be  from  all  dead 
limbs  if  they  are  left  on  the  tree,  therefore  it  is  of  great  import- 
ance to  have  all  such  limbs  trimmed  off  close  to  the  stem  as 
soon  as  the  disease  is  noticed,  this  will  not  only  prevent  the  tree 
from  decaying  but  also  it  will  be  much  easier  to  grow  over.  It 
is  widely  known,  that  hollow  trees  can  be  cemented  air  tight  after 
the  inside  of  the  tree  has  been  thoroughly  scraped  and  cleaned. 
But  even  this  will  not  give  the  pleasure  of  a  long  life  tree.  It 
preserves  the  tree  to  a  certain  extent,  but  is  often  expensively 
<lone.  I  use  a  healing  salve  for  all  ctits  in  trimming  which  is  in 
fact  the  best  remedy  known  for  healing  cuts  in  trees.  It  consists 
->f  a  mixture  of  pine  tar,  bees  wax,  linseed  oil  and  a  little  white 
lead.  This  will  not  only  aid  to  the  healing  of  the  cut  on  the  tree 
but  it  will  keep  it  from  exposure. 


THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  INSECTS. 

The  destroying  of  insects  has  been  a  great  problem  for  years 
and  the  damage  done  by  insects  every  year  is  enormous  and  near- 
ly all  plants  and  trees  have  a  destroying  insect  somehow  adapted 
to  feed  on  the  sap  and  foliage  of  the  trees  and  plants.  The  work 
of  destroying  insects  has  been  carried  out  on  a  large  scale  and 
many  different  ways  and  means  are  employed  for  this  purpose. 
In  nearly  all  books  of  horticulture  a  great  deal  of  advice  is  given 
to  this  effect  including  the  spraying  of  trees  in  the  early  spring, 

31 


This  photograph  shows  a  cat  intent  on  robbing  a  bird's  nest 
which  the  trap  belt  prevents. 


32 


but  the  fact  is  not  generally  thought  of  that  many  insects  lay 
their  eggs  in  the  warm  weather  when  the  leaves  of  the  trees  are 
all  out,  and  the  foliage  of  many  trees  will  not  stand  the  spray- 
ing. Insects  lay  their  eggs  in  the  cracks  of  the  bark  and  in  any 
hiding  place  suitable  for  the  multiplication  of  insects  which  will 
later  aid  in  the  complete  destruction  of  the  tree.  A  trap  belt  has 
been  made  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  insetcs  whose  habit  it  is 
to  creep  upon  trees  looking  for  shelter  and  food.  It  consists  of  a 
metal  collar  and  a  strip  of  felt,  the  felt  is  thoroughly  saturated  with 
chemicals  which  are  the  most  destructive  to  insects.  This  felt 
is  fastened  to  the  belt  and  the  belt  acts  as  a  protection  of  chemi- 
cals and  prevents  them  from  exposure,  and  nothing  except  insects 
can  come  in  contact  with  this  poison.  The  chemical  can  be  used 
in  different  forms  and  in  the  South,  where  the  large  black  ants 
are  very  destructive  to  the  orange  blossoms,  the  chemicals  can 
be  placed  on  the  felt  so  as  to  completely  stop  the  ravages  of  these 
pests.  Thousands  of  birds  and  admirable  animals  have  been 
killed  by  coming  in  contact  with  deadly  poisons  set  for  insects. 
My  trap  belts  have  the  advantage  that  nothing  can  come  in  con- 
tact with  the  poison  except  the  insects.  The  belt  can  be  placed 
clo«=e  to  the  ground  for  insects,  but  for  protecting  birds  it  should 
be  5  to  6  feet  up  from  the  ground. 

This  trap  belt  has  also  stood  the  proof  for  its  real  value 
not  only  as  a  device  for  the  destruction  of  insects  but  also  for 
the  protection  of  birds.  This  belt  may  be  used  without  felt,  if 
desired,  and  the  prongs,  which  are  sharp  pointed,  will  prevent 
animals  which  feed  upon  birds  from  climbing  trees,  it  also  pre- 
vents boys  from  destroying  bird's  nests.  Thousands  of  song 
birds  are  killed  every  year  by  cats  alone  and  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
song  birds  are  getting  more  scarce  every  year.  Few  realize  that 
our  happiness  largely  depends  on  our  surroundings,  the  greatest 
and  the  nearest  things  that  come  naturally  to  our  minds  and 
feelings  are  the  trees,  the  shrubs,  the  flowers  and  the  green  grass. 
If  a  bird  is  singing  in  a  tree  for  you  outside  your  window,  this 

33 


also  belongs  to  nature  though  of  a  different  quality  and  adds  to 
your  happiness.  If  you  are  a  lover  of  nature,  as  I  am,  you  can- 
not afford  to  separate  anything.  You  should  not  take  care  of 
your  trees  and  flowers  and  lawn  and  not  do  anything  for  the 
birds.  This  little  friend  is  so  interesting  and  so  harmless  not  to 
forget  the  great  pleasure  they  give  us  in  many  ways  and  the 
multitude  of  insects  they  feed  upon  which  would  be  a  destruc- 
tion to  the  country  had  not  these  little  lively  friends  been  such  it 
good  help  to  the  destroying  of  insects.  They  do  everything  for 
your  comfort  and  pleasure,  how  much  do  you  do  for  them  ?  And 
yet  so  many  useful  birds  are  killed  every  year  when  it  can  be  so 
easily  prevented  by  using  this  trapbelt  which  costs  only  a  trifle. 
True  pleasure  comes  from  nature  and  we  should  protect  nature 
and  also  the  birds,  as  they  are  a  combination  of  harmony. 

In  conclusion  I  would  like  to  say  that  this  trap  belt  is 
of  great  value  in  the  South  where  rats  and  other  destructive  ani- 
mals cause  great  damage  to  cocoanuts  and  fruits  which  means  a 
great  loss  to  the  people  down  there,  and  there  is  nothing  more 
simple  than  this  belt  which  is  so  useful  and  can  be  handled  so 
easily  as  it  is  held  together  by  one  strong  spring  only,  so  that  the 
belt  can  be  put  up  and  taken  down  in  an  instant.  There  is  nothing 
about  this  belt  to  injure  a  tree  and  when  it  is  removed  it  will  not 
leave  a  mark  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree  as  often  is  the  case  when 
other  remedies  are  used. 

To  the  reader  I  wish  to  say  that  the  hints  and  advice  given 
in  this  book  have  been  taken  from  many  years'  experience  and 
I  hope  that  this  book  will  be  read  with  interest  and  pleasure. 

I 

ALFRED  J.  KULL, 

Landscape  Gardner  &  Engineer, 
February,  1916.  FAR  HILLS,  N.  J. 


34 


DEC  1.0  192 


YC  63780 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


